Changed Lives

When Joel looks back, he admits drinking was already a problem in high school. But everything spiraled when his dad took his own life two months after he had told Joel that he was going to. “That really sent me downhill,” Joel says. “I felt responsible. I thought I could’ve saved his life if I had told somebody.”

Joel was 27 at the time, and from then on, he says he was on a “rollercoaster of alcoholism.” He would manage to get sober, land a good job, only to fall back into drinking and watch it all come crashing down. He pushed away his family and completely isolated himself. “Alcohol just rips your body up, your spirituality, confidence – everything,” he says. “I wasn’t really caring about anything.”

Joel finally reached his breaking point. Tired of the endless cycle, he came to Crossroads Mission Avenue, determined to begin his journey toward lasting recovery.

Today, Joel is enjoying healing and clarity. “I’m on the right path and I’m not getting off it again,” he says. He’s also receiving support for his mental health struggles. “The Mission helps balance me out. I feel good about myself.”

“Since coming to Crossroads, I have hope, faith, peace and a better relationship with God.”

Joel is grateful for the support he’s found at Crossroads, and the friendships he has made with staff. “If I need anything, they do what they can to help.”

Through Crossroads, Joel also has a new opportunity. He’s working at the Mission’s worm farm, which is preparing him for a full-time management position. “The worm farm is giving me a future and a career,” he says. “I’m excited for my growth.”

This Easter, Joel has a new direction for his life. Thank you for lighting the path forward for him to experience a future of hope and peace! “I thank God and Crossroads for helping me out. My confidence is built up and I have a better relationship with God and my family.”

Adrian is the pastor of Kearney eFree Church and a volunteer at Crossroads Mission Avenue. “I love this kind of ministry,” he says. “One of the things I like about having relationships with folks who are homeless is they take off the masks we wear all the time. You get to know them pretty quickly.”

After moving to Kearney a decade ago, Adrian realized there weren’t any churches that were inviting people at Crossroads to be part of their community. “There are a lot of folks at homeless shelters who are looking for spiritual answers for really big problems,” he shares. “They are looking for community.”

When he became the pastor of Kearney eFree Church, Adrian encouraged his congregation to support neighbors in need. He led a campaign to raise funds for a van to transport Crossroads guests to and from the church each week.

“What I’ve enjoyed most is the relationships with Crossroads guests.”

Now, Adrian and his wife come to Crossroads to lead prayer time and Bible study and further develop fellowship with people who seek it.

“Crossroads provides protection and safety as people aim for higher goals and grow emotionally, physically, spiritually and vocationally,” Adrian says. “They do a great job working with local businesses to provide job opportunities that help guests move forward.”

He also recognizes the heart of our staff. “Crossroads employees really love and care about the guests. They understand that every person that comes in is made in the image of God.”

Adrian has seen the changes in people, from short-term to long-term guests. “They are not just self-sufficient; they have the tools to deal with temptations for when they go back out into the community,” he says. “They leave this place with more confidence, connection with the community and knowledge of the resources available.”

This Christmas, Adrian is experiencing the joy of ministering to Crossroads guests. Thanks to you, the gifts of peace and hope are shared with those who need it! “Guests say, ‘I’m grateful for this place because I can tell I am valued here. I matter.’”

Juan immigrated to the U.S. from Cuba when he was 42 years old. When he lost his home, he had no family here and had to move in temporarily with a friend. His Huntington’s disease was getting worse, he lost his Medicaid and couldn’t get any support.

By God’s grace, a neighbor told him about Crossroads Mission Avenue and brought him here. “My life has been completely different since coming to the Mission,” he says.

Once he got to Crossroads, he got the help he needed to get his Medicaid and Social Security Disability Insurance in place. Now he’ll be able to move into a supportive living situation where he can get the level of care he needs!

“I’m thankful to Crossroads for everything. They gave me total support for my situation. This is an important place.” 

Once the high school homecoming queen and cheer captain, Ashley never thought she’d hit rock bottom. She was raised by her mom and grandmother and had a happy childhood.

But her happy world came crumbling down as an adult. An unhealthy marriage left her heartbroken… she turned to alcohol to cope with the pain and developed a destructive addiction.

After her divorce, she replaced alcohol with other substances. This led to bad choices that got her arrested and she lost custody of her kids.

But while in prison, her relationship with God grew stronger. When she was released, Ashley came to Crossroads because she knew the faith-based program could provide the structure she needed to continue deepening her faith.

Now, she has found healing through devotions and being around positive people who share her faith. “I prayed a lot when I was in prison, and I really feel like I was supposed to come here,” she says.

She is grateful to Crossroads for providing basic necessities and resources to help her budget and save money. She also appreciates the emotional support from staff. Before coming to the Mission, she was very unsure about her future. “The Mission staff really invest their time getting to know you and give their advice.”

Ashley once limited herself when looking to the future, but thanks to encouragement from staff, she is learning to aim higher and pursue associate and bachelor’s degrees. “They tell me, ‘Don’t sell yourself short. You have more to offer.’” She also plans to get her driver’s license again and get a car so she can visit and rebuild her relationship with her kids.

Your gifts are bearing fruit in the lives of people like Ashley. Now, her heart is full of hope this fall… thanks to your kindness! “After coming to the Mission, I know God’s in control and everything’s going to be OK.”

“I never really had a mom who was there for me,” Jessica reflects. She experienced a lot of trauma growing up with a single mom who had three jobs. “I sometimes wondered if she worked so much because she didn’t want to be home.” 

At one point, she became a ward of the state. This combined with the mental health struggles of her family took a toll on Jessica as a child.

“My teenage years were not any better. I had no help growing up, and was taken advantage of my whole life, even by my family,” she shares. At 17, she turned to substances to cope with that feeling of neglect, admitting, “Bad attention is better than no attention.”

At her lowest point, Jessica’s choices landed her in prison… and she lost custody of her children. After she was released, Jessica felt determined to change her life around and she came to the Mission where she was warmly welcomed. “I was very happy,” she recalls.

She is grateful to the Mission for giving her stable housing so she can get her kids back. “This is the best thing that has ever happened to me,” she says.

“Since coming to the Mission, I am very hopeful for housing, getting my girls back and starting a new life.”

Crossroads has provided Jessica with the support she never had. “I’ve always had to do everything by myself. The support system here is phenomenal. Any resources I need, day-to-day interactions, are great,” she says. “It’s more than I could ask for.”

Beyond the services to help her get back on track, Jessica is grateful to have people she can talk to and count on. “Crossroads is like a family. It’s a whole different experience being here. It’s great and I’m very thankful for it.”

Thank you for your love and support of neighbors like Jessica. Your kindness has reminded her that she is not alone and that a better life is possible! “I’m thankful to the Mission for showing me that there are good people out there, showing me my self-worth, helping me with housing and for being there for me.”

Like all caring parents, Rayza and Yordin simply wanted a safe place to raise their children. When hard times struck, uncertainty took over their day-to-day lives.

Thankfully, the Lord led them to Crossroads Mission Avenue, where they received food assistance, clean clothes and basic necessities for their home. “All our needs were met, and everyone was so welcoming,” Yordin shares with a smile.

Rayza now works in our Mission Avenue Thrift Store and finds joy in helping others. “I love giving back,” she beams.

Grateful for Crossroads’ life-changing impact, the family is enjoying renewed hope for the future!

Markys can trace the root of his struggles back to childhood. He suffered abuse from a family member he thought he could trust… and he was never the same again. Growing up, Markys gravitated to the wrong crowd. “It was just constant drinking and drug use. I started doing the same thing… I wanted to escape my painful memories,” he shares.

As an adult, Markys couldn’t shake the feelings of anger and sadness. “When I looked in the mirror, all I saw was ‘bad,’” he remembers. Between addiction and his temper, he struggled to build relationships and establish a stable home life. One night, an alcohol-fueled argument with his roommates landed him behind bars.

His stint in jail turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Markys was visited by a kind missionary who encouraged him to learn about the Lord. “I was ready to change, so I started going to church. That’s when I accepted Christ into my heart.”

Upon his release, Markys had nowhere to go. He lived in an abandoned trailer for a while. Thankfully, he remembered the missionary telling him about Crossroads Mission Avenue, so he came to us for help.

“By learning to pray again, I discovered the good that lives inside me.”

As soon as Markys arrived at the Mission, he was warmly welcomed by the staff and other guests. Through our 4-Phase Recovery Program, Markys found and maintained his sobriety, developed life and job skills, and was able to practice what he’d gained by working and giving back. “Crossroads was really there for me,” he says.

Our Christ-centered setting played a critical role in supporting Markys’ recovery. Here, he was able to deepen his relationship with the Lord and draw strength from the community around him. He’s made lasting friendships with people he can trust.

Now, Markys is experiencing God’s gift of new life! Thank you for empowering him to follow Christ’s calling in his life. “The Mission has inspired me to help those who are still struggling. I’m grateful they’ve shown me the way!”

Sean says he’s truly grateful for those who support for Crossroads Mission Avenue — because if the Mission wasn’t here, he had only two paths left open to him: prison or the graveyard.

“I had everything going for me, but I made a lot of poor life choices,” he says. “After I left college, I wanted quick, fast money, so I started selling drugs. I could have done something good with my life, but I chose the road to addiction.”

Today, at 51, Sean has 10 drug-related felonies in his past and a lot of prison time. Three years ago, after his last stint, he was given the chance to come to Crossroads as part of his probation agreement. He left early, however, and relapsed. He finally realized that something had to change.

“I believe if you really have the will to change, and you come to Crossroads, God will give you the courage and strength to do that,” Sean says. “That’s what happened for me. I’ve grown in my spirituality and I’ve been clean for over a year now. I feel like a normal person again. If you just put in the time and the effort, good things happen.”

Thanks to support and guidance from Crossroads — and our donors — Sean is following a new path. He’s now in college studying to be a drug and alcohol counselor. “Being able to give back like that, helping people like me, would be worth more than any paycheck,” he says.

He encourages donors to continue giving to the Mission, because “your support could save someone’s life who really wants to be a productive citizen again.”

YOUR support for people like Sean changes more than a life. YOU change an entire community.

Derrick had an abusive childhood filled with drugs and violence. He too developed an addiction that led him to drop out of school in the 9th grade. Unable to keep a job, he spent much of his adult life homeless.

Derrick’s favorite place on the streets was where a heat vent poured out warm air. But one January night, temperatures dropped so low he didn’t think he could survive. He came to Crossroads Mission Avenue for a warm shower and a safe place to sleep. However, shortly after arriving, Derrick was diagnosed with throat cancer. His health began to decline dramatically.

Crossroad’s staff cared for Derrick faithfully as his cancer and treatments took their toll. He was unable to read or write when he arrived, but we celebrated with him when he learned to write his name. It was one of his proudest moments.

When it became clear he didn’t have much time left, our case manager sat down with Derrick to talk about his relationship with God. Derrick shared that he had received Jesus as his savior. They listened to worship music together, and tears rolled down Derrick’s cheeks in gratitude for our concern for him.

Not long after our conversation about faith, Derrick passed away peacefully in his sleep. What could have been a sad day, was not – because we know Derrick is with the Lord. He endured a hard life on the streets, but God prepared a place for him in heaven – where there is no more suffering, no pain, no poverty and no loneliness. Now, Derrick is no longer homeless. He is home.

At Crossroads, Derrick found a place to belong, and people who loved him. He didn’t suffer and die alone – because friends like you cared enough to give. But the truth is that Derrick ministered to us just as much as we did to him. He showed us how to endure sickness and approach the end of life with grace and a smile on his face.

This Christmas, we celebrate Derrick’s life and journey home to heaven – because YOU believed in the promise of God’s unending love. Thank you for your gifts to give hope to people like Derrick… to support the spread of the Gospel… to stand alongside people in their darkest days, when they can no longer stand alone.

You gave Sherry help, hope and renewed faith.

Personal loss could have brought Sherry’s story to a tragic end. And it almost did.

When Sherry’s husband passed away from heart failure after 25 years of marriage, it was a devastating blow. For two years, she couldn’t even confront the loss. When the terrible pain finally did set in, it sent Sherry spiraling into depression.

She started drinking heavily to cope, and it cost her dearly. “I lost my job, then I lost my apartment, and then I just lost everything,” Sherry says.

Sherry’s journey could have concluded there, but it didn’t. Like an answer to prayer, Sherry discovered Crossroads Mission Avenue, where — thanks to friends like you — she found her faith again.

“I was on some kind of suicide mission, tired of everything,” Sherry says of her life before the Mission. “But somewhere along the way, Jesus helped me realize that even though my situation isn’t the best, I still have him. And being here, I feel safe.”

That’s the power of your generosity! You take neighbors like Sherry by the hand and show them they don’t have to lose hope. You remind them that new beginnings are possible.

If it weren’t for Crossroads, Sherry says, “I would’ve probably drank myself to death by now. I’m pretty sure of it. This place is a godsend. They saved my life.”

Your continued support of Crossroads Mission Avenue is nothing short of lifesaving for many more neighbors just like Sherry. Thank you for giving them help and hope.